Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Ewan Murray

Brendan Rodgers an ideal upgrade for England if Southgate walks away

Brendan Rodgers gives the thumbs up.
Brendan Rodgers regards himself as a top-bracket coach. His aspirations are at the summit of the game. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters

Brendan Rodgers has an uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time. As Gareth Southgate ponders and the Football Association plans, Rodgers is the most viable alternative. Southgate acolytes will not like the sentiment, but he would be an upgrade.

In May 2016, seven months after being jettisoned by Liverpool, Rodgers was the ideal man to reboot Celtic after the stagnation overseen by Ronny Deila. Thousands greeted Rodgers upon his arrival. Rodgers ticked off “the Celtic thing” – not everybody gets that chance – with rose petals tossed at his feet while rediscovering his managerial mojo away from the competitive ferocity of the Premier League. Plenty will shrug at achievements in Scotland but the undeniable fact is Rodgers raised standards and positively altered the careers of umpteen players. Rodgers was great for Celtic and Celtic was great for Rodgers.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.